Sonic Series Fan Fiction ❯ Miles 'Foxy' Prower! ❯ Crystal Kingdom ( Chapter 19 )

Ok, this is what I've waited for! This chapter will be a compound creation… for the history of the Emeralds, I'll be introducing a original story of mine. It works quite well with this… so I hope you like it. Now, I'm far too excited to type anymore than this, so wish me luck, and enjoy this installment of Miles `Foxy' Prower!!

 

“Miles `Foxy' Prower!” Chapter 19: “Crystal Kingdom”

 

A wind blew about the desolate city, seeming to raise the tensions of those who wished to battle evil. The wind…

 

No matter how soft or hard it blew, it always brought with it some sort of emotion, some sort of sentiment. This wind was cold, and sharp, just as the destruction of the buildings that littered the streets.

 

Armic stepped forth, seeming calm, and solemn as ever. All faces gave him their attention, however, for the sake of making the situation seem a bit less tense, he gave a soft smile.

 

“…Before I begin to tell you the history of my former master… and his servers… is there anything in particular any of you need to ask me?” He says, looking at their faces, in search of any questions they might have.

 

Rouge stepped forth.

 

“Yes, I've been meaning to ask you… where's that chaos emerald you're hiding from me?” Rouge asked in a demanding tone, determined to find out it's whereabouts. She almost KNEW he had one… she could feel it's chaotic power resonating from his body.

 

Eggman, hearing the bat's harsh-sounding words, turned around, and looked at the yellow emerald he'd liberated from Sonic… making sure no one could see it before he greedily put it away once more. He wasn't about to give it up…

 

Armic only smiled at her.

 

“If you want the Chaos Emerald…” He said, holding his arms out, “I'm right here.” he invited. Everyone looked totally perplexed, and Rouge cocked her head.

 

The thief looked at him, examining his robe-like jacket… it was large, and loose-fitting… but there where no pockets. He could easily hide an Emerald within the garbs, but, with the way he was fighting and moving all over the place only a day before… how would he have made it stay put…?

 

“…I don't understand…” Amy admitted.

 

“I don't think I get it either… What do you mean, Mr. Armic?” Cream asked, twiddling her thumbs. The blonde boy chuckled at her.

 

“Please, little maiden, of such a title I'm not worthy. Please, just address me as Armic, like the others.” He told her. She nodded, and smiled at him.

 

“Well… To answer your question, miss bat, I am a Chaos Emerald… the yellow one, to be exact… a part of it, anyway.” He told them. The thief looked almost insulted, and she took a step toward him, only to by stopped by Amy's hand, and a shake of her head, the girl keeping young Armic from harm. Previously, Rouge was taking well to the boy, actually… for her anyway. But, it was common knowledge amongst those who knew the bat: separate her from her jewels, and she became quite vicious, even to a friend. The leather clad temptress scowled a bit, unsatisfied by Amy's attitude, but willing to let her have her way this time. None the less, she pointed an accusing finger at the boy.

 

“You're a liar… how can you expect us to believe such a thing? You're no jewel!” Rouge stated, not seeming to realize how immature she was being. (though she always acted that way when sparklies were involved.)

 

Holo-Tails shook his head, wanting to believe Armic, but finding himself unable.

 

“This might seem a bit rude, but that really is a tad illogical…” He remarked, receiving a few nods of agreement from the others. The spirit of the yellow Emerald looked at the hologram, and grinned, albeit sadly.

 

“…I suppose that's alright. I shouldn't expect you to believe me, anyway… but that `lie' is all I have for you. There is nothing more.” He told them. “2000 years ago, I was imprisoned within the Chaos Emerald, along with 6 others… we were chosen to enshrine ourselves within our Emeralds… and channel their power more effectively. We did not choose to have the power, or the immortality they bestowed upon us, but we were chosen at birth to bond our very existences to the Emeralds. It may seem like a blessing, but, take it from me, you live an extra hundred years more than you're supposed to, and eternal youth gets quite old, ironically.” Armic explained to them, pacing around as he did, not really looking at anybody, but seeming in deep thought. Tails seemed to be the only one to find the humor in the last statement, but he forced himself not to laugh.

 

“…Tragically, though, we all fell into servitude of `him'… I seemed to be the only one to retain my sanity… but I… I was weak, and afraid, so I submitted as well.” He said, sulking a bit.

 

“…Who's `him'…?” Sonic asked. The hedgehog suddenly had a horrible feeling, as the question left his tongue. The boy's eyes looked in his direction, then up at the eternal blue above.

 

“…My master. You all know him as the Master Emerald… His name is Bacillus.” He told them.

 

That name… the name seemed to make everybody's hearts leap into their throats, and spines shiver with goosebumps… They did not recognize it, except Amy, who'd heard it once before, but as they heard it, they began to wish never to hear it again… never to speak it. Even Armic seemed to flinch at his own words, his eyes clenching for a moment.

 

“…He's a demon.” He finished, looking to the side, trying to hide his eyes from them for a moment, “…He's lived in the Master Emerald for long now… Longer than anyone's taken count of… He's pure and unbridled evil… the worst of the worst.” he claimed, seeming a dreadful kind of serious. Knuckles shook his red head, in a fit of disbelief.

 

“…That… that can't be! The Master Emerald… it was… I've been protecting it all my life! You can't tell me now that there's a monster living inside of it!?” He exclaimed, raising his fist for emphasis. Armic's eyes looked upon the guardian, and had the grim look of truth etched onto his features.

 

“Yes… the sacred duty of the Echidna tribe. I've heard of it, in my immortality. They were a noble tribe, the Echidna… but sir guardian… were you ever told exactly why you were to protect the Master Emerald…?” He asked. Knuckles froze, looking at the ground… upset to realize the boy's point, and find it, through his denial, couldn't find any evidence to prove his implications false.

 

“…That's right. You were to protect the Emerald from ever falling into the wrong hands… from ever releasing the demon within into the world. But… now that he's free… I know not what we can do to stop him….” He said… hanging his head low, looking hopeless.

 

For a moment, his hopelessness infected everyone… but suddenly, he looked up, and his eyes trailed curiously to Sonic.

 

“…However… I do have faith…” He said, reassuringly. Sonic smiled a bit at that.

 

Knuckles, meanwhile looked flabbergasted. He couldn't believe his duty was so… important. Even more important than he'd originally thought it to be. He was protecting not just a large gem, but the whole world from the being inside… and he failed.

 

“This is horrible… I've… I've let you all down… It's my fault this is all happening…” The echidna said, sounding defeated, as he grabbed his head, and shook it, looking at the ground… wallowing in his own shame. Rouge looked highly upset by the echidna's sudden turn of emotion.

 

“…No, red one, it's not your fault. You've not yet received full understanding of exactly what we're up against… this creature… he has the most unfathomable intellect you could possibly imagine… he's always planning, always pulling the strings, always manipulating the factors… His mind has possibly 1000 times the capacity of any human one… and he's psychic, as well. He's truly the ultimate being…” Armic stated.

 

Sonic, to everyone's surprise, laughed.

 

“Heh, I know a certain hedgehog who'd challenge that statement!” He said. Everyone but Armic smiled at that.

 

Shadow, from his hiding place, twitched.

 

A moment passed, and everyone's look faded back into an uneasy one.

 

“Incredible… but, I must ask, how can such a thing exist?” Eggman asked, scratching his chin, as he pondered if this creature could REALLY be smarter than he or Tails.

 

“I'll tell you… you see, Bacillus… he's not of this world.” He said, looking grimly at the ground.

 

“N-not of this world…?” Cream stammered, a little afraid. Armic nodded, slowly. Even Rouge seemed a bit frightened, as she was beginning to wonder how anyone could have the imagination… to make something like this up.

 

Rouge had always felt a certain… evil of the Master Emerald… but she thought it was her conscience, or the greed or something… Knuckles, inside, felt the same… and, though his heart questioned it, his pride suppressed the lingering fact that he had been guarding something so evil.

 

“…No. He came to this world, 2000 or so years ago… when a place called `Crystal Kingdom' reigned supreme. It was the people of that kingdom that created the Chaos Emeralds… They were a people with unfathomable magical ability, which they manipulated through gemstones.” He told them. Everyone, especially Knuckles and Rouge, at this point, were listening intently, to this look back into Earth's unveiled history…

 

“Impossible… I've never heard of such a kingdom existing…” The hologram of Tails said. Just about everyone else nodded. Armic looked at them, strangely, with a certain wariness in his eyes, showing he wasn't surprised in the slightest.

 

“… I wouldn't be surprised. They were wiped out, each and every one of them, without so much as a trace… there are only… 8 of them left, at best.” Armic said. Holo-Tails shook his head in disbelief.

 

“You don't mean…?” He started, as his brain, before anyone else's, began to piece the information together. The young one nodded.

 

…8…? But there are only seven Chaos Emeralds… and if that Bacillus guy's not of this world… then who…? Sonic thought to himself, quietly. This was probably the first time the hedgehog had ever taken any interest whatsoever in anything regarding history… and it was strange, but he almost felt like he knew this stuff already… though at the same time, he'd never recalled knowing such things.

“Yes, I myself, once lived there. I… I was the chosen guardian, and counterpart of one of the kingdom's seven treasure jewels…” He admitted, trailing a bit.

 

Rouge made a deductive gesture.

 

“Those being the Chaos Emeralds…?” She asked. He nodded again.

 

“Yes, now you're catching on, my lady…” He said, through a faint smile, “…There was one more… a much larger jewel, created to utilize and control the powers of all the seven Chaos Emeralds…” He started.

 

“The Master Emerald.” Knux said, beating everyone else to it.

 

“That's right.” He said, nodding, “…We were a happy kingdom, with few problems… Until one day, a flaming boulder fell from the sky, and landed, smoldering in the ground…” The boy said, making gestures with his hands.

 

“Like a meteorite?” Tails asked him. Armic didn't seem to understand what the word meant, science not being a big thing in that day… But he nodded, assuming that's what they called such a thing.

 

“I suppose. I do not know where it came from, but within it was more than a simply stone… much more.” He told them, his tone changing to something glum as he tried to think of a way to explain the happenings that occurred afterward.

 

“…Are you saying that… Bacillus had came to this planet, your Kingdom, using the meteorite as some sort of vessel?” Tails asked, surprising everyone with his vast intellect. Armic nodded, also amazed that the young fox-boy could deduct such a thing so quickly.

 

“My, but you're a perceptive one! That's exactly right… within this boulder, was enshrined a strange being… a monster, smarter, faster, more powerful than an army of Crystal's finest soldiers…… He who ended our kingdom, and any chance of it's legacy being known.” The staff-wielding boy said, looking regretful.

 

“Wow, that's some mondo crazy stuff… But I gotta ask you… and I know this is a bit off topic, and I'm probably getting ahead of myself here, but why… why did the chaos emeralds shatter? I thought they were indestructible?” Sonic suddenly blurted. Armic looked a tad puzzled for a moment, being interrupted, not to mention the hedgehog's question was concerning an entirely different era. However, it was really no surprise… skipping ahead impatiently was just part of the hedgehog's character. Everyone turned in his direction.

 

“The Chaos Emeralds have shattered…?” Mirrored Tails, seeming astounded.

 

“Impossible!” Eggman claimed.

 

“Oh my... They're gone…?” Cream muttered, ears raising just a bit in her astonishment.

 

Chris, looking just as amazed as the others, shook his head.

 

“Sonic, you can't be serious?” The rocker asked, a smile on his face, thinking the blue hero was just messing around.

 

However, the hedgehog looked dead serious… the kind of serious that seemed uncharacteristic to him.

 

“Yeah, I wish it were a joke myself… but I'm not lying, nor am I pullin' your leg, I watched the 7 Chaos Emeralds break into a million pieces, one by one, with my own two eyes.” He said, grimly. Armic looked pensive for a moment.

 

“Oh? Mayhaps you miscounted, Sonic.” He said, closing his eyes for a moment. Sonic raised an eyebrow as the young Emerald Spirit walked over to Eggman, and looked up at him. The doctor sweatdropped, and tried, and failed to look casual.

 

“Erh, wh-what is it? What are you looking at me for?” He stammered, tugging at his collar. Armic only grinned at him.

 

“…You have my host Emerald, do you not? May I see it, if only for a moment…?” He asked, kindly, and with a kind of policy that certainly shouldn't have been wasted on Dr. Ivo Robotnik, of all people. The good doctor folded his arms, sweating profusely now. It was unbearably obvious that he was hiding something.

 

“I…I don't know what you're talking about!!” He lied. The boy frowned.

 

“…Very well… then I must ask you to forgive my rudeness.” He says, as he raises his right palm.

 

A golden glow surrounded his extended hand, and it got brighter and brighter, causing all to gasp. A bright yellow light glimmered from within the doctor's pocket, causing him to jump.

 

“Wha-what is this!?” He yells, frozen from his own bewilderment.

 

Without another second's pass, the yellow emerald levitated from the pocket, and flew into the boy's hand, seeming magnetized. Everyone in the group's eyes were considerably wide… It was obvious now, Armic DEFINITELY had connections with the Chaos Emeralds.

 

He held the emerald, and the glow faded. He turned, and showed it to Sonic, whom scratched his head, amazed. A moment passed, and he let out a long whistle.

 

“Heh, well dog my cats. Guess I exaggerated the pain I felt a little… there were only SIX emeralds ripped from inside my body!” He stated. Nobody except the hidden Shadow, and Armic understood that. Armic bowed to him, looking apologetic.

 

“I really must ask your forgiveness… It was my blind servitude to my former master that caused you so much pain and injury…” He explained. The blue whirlwind cocked his head.

 

“Hmm? How can it be your fault? I don't think I get exactly how… deep the connection you have with that emerald runs.” He trailed, as he grunted, struggling to his feet, making Amy squeak, and run over to assist him. He leaned on her and grinned at the staff-wielding boy. “Urgh… Heh. Care to fill me in?”

 

Armic grinned at the hedgehog's pure resolve, and optimism, even given such a grim situation. He nodded.

 

“But of course…You see, myself, my brothers and sisters… we… We have the benefits of limitless energy, as I'm sure I've said.” He trails, unsure how to put it exactly. Holo-Tails interjected.

 

“And that power is supplied by the boundless power of the Chaos Emeralds?” He suggested. The boy nodded, seeming to admire the kitsune's intelligence.

 

“Yes, yes, precisely. However, despite eternal youth, and endless vigor, the power of the Emeralds does not make us invincible. As many of you have proven, we can be killed, just as any normal person…” The boy explains, seeming to trail a bit. One could detect sadness in his eyes, but only for a flash.

 

“… You see, the connection we have with the Emeralds is divine…” He started after a moment, looking at the emerald he held. He held it up. “…Were you to strike this Emerald… I would feel it. Were you to break my bones, the Emerald would crack… and… Were you to kill me…” He said, at length, trailing, knowing the others could figure the rest of the sentence out for themselves.

 

“The emerald would cease to exist altogether…” Knuckles finished, eyes relaying some serious sort of stress building up within him.

 

Cream shivered, and Tails seemed to be the only one to notice. It was enough to make one wonder if the kit was happy, or disappointed with his decision to install visual display into the Nano-Holo. He didn't take his cerulean irises off of her for the longest time… but he finally managed to pull his eyes away from her, but only in an effort to avoid hers. Perhaps it was shame, perhaps he was still just shy… perhaps he didn't want to get lost in the vacuum of her copper eyes. Heck, it wouldn't be farfetched to say it was some mixture of all three.

 

“…Gah, long silences bug me, so I'm gonna ask another question.” Sonic suddenly announced, wriggling from Amy's grasp, which had `somehow' melted into an embrace. He instead leaned on what used to be a building for support. Armic turned immediately, casting his attention in the direction of the hedgehog.

 

“Yes, of course, I'll tell you anything I can…” He says, his amber eyes flashing with helpfulness. Sonic breathed heavily, and worked up a sweat just standing… He held up a finger, signaling for them to let him catch his breath. It became increasingly obvious that he was overexerting himself just to be talking in his condition, much less standing up.

 

“Don't strain yourself…” Cream pled, holding a hand out. However, Amy gave her a reassuring wag of her head, silently explaining that she had it under control.

 

Amy, naturally concerned, walked up and wrapped her arms about him, gently trying to help him out a bit. Sonic pushed her away, weakly, but the effort proved futile, as he didn't have the energy. Amy, surprisingly, set him down, rather than snuggling with him like one would expect. He looked at her with confused eyes. She held up a finger, and wagged it at him in a scolding manner.

 

“Sonic the hedgehog, you stay put for once!” She ordered. He gulped once, and she tapped her foot. “You're not indestructible you know… you just got the sap beat out of you, and what's the first thing you do? Waste all the energy you should be using to get better on trying to stand up! What will it take to make you stay put for once?” She asked, though the question was obviously rhetorical. Tails shook his head, actually grinning a bit.

 

“What do you expect? Sonic's the most stubborn person I know… he's usually not one, or two, but fifty steps ahead of the competition. So naturally, his ego's bigger than Eggman's gut.” He says, shrugging. The fox boy received snickers, and one provoked scowl from the his Eggliness, before continuing. “…As a result, Sonic can't stand feeling weak and helpless in front of his enemies… and he's even MORE afraid of being seen that way by his friends.” The holographic kit states, folding his arms and nodding in agreement with himself. Sonic actually seemed a bit agitated.

 

“Ahh… can it, will ya? Why can't you ever let em' figure things like that out themselves?? Instead of ANNOUNCING it to the whole world…” He muttered, not all out mad, but about as miffed as he really ever gets. Holo-Tails just shrugged, fully satisfied with his assessment, despite the blue one's speculations.

 

“Somebody has to do all the constructive thinking around here.” He states, looking a rather smug sort of omniscient. Sonic bit his lip, and looked the other way.

 

“Know it all…” He muttered, under his breath. Little did he realize, the defensive behavior he had in reaction to what Tails said was only further proving the kit's point. “So… anyway, like I was saying.” He continued, “…I gotta know… what happened in the middle of that fight? I was winning… then all the sudden I felt like something… left me, and my power was cut in half… What did that guy… what did he do…?” The blue hero asked, generating an apologetic look from Armic.

 

“…Bacillus… he's beyond moral. He's no sense of honor, just a translucent guise of it. He did not hesitate to cheat, and go against the bargain you made with him when he found himself at a disadvantage. He called upon us, for the first time in years, and ordered us to kill your friends when he heard you say they were the source of your strength… being the servers, we'd no choice but to obey…” He said, dragging that sentence out a bit.

 

“…Oh, I see. Since you make up half the Emerald's power, when you left, my energy was sliced in two.” Sonic said, beginning to understand a bit better.

 

“Yes, now you're catching on” The boy said.

 

Sonic only nodded afterward… but by-and by, the quiet returned. A really uneasy silence, at that. Finally, Sonic spoke again, looking unamused.

 

“…Ok, looks like I'm the only one here who can actually speak, so I'll ask another question,” The blue one said, irritated at the lack of conversation. Nobody else seemed to be able to form the words to their many questions properly. Armic nodded, and looked attentive yet again.

 

“Ok, usually, in my past experiences, I could only become SuperSonic with the power of all 7 Chaos Emeralds… but, even when they started… rather painfully rippin' their way outta me, I was still in my super form… why's that?” He asked, holding his stomach, wincing as he vaguely remembered the pain he felt.

 

Armic began to answer the question, but Rouge suddenly made a pass at the Chaos Emerald he was holding. He managed to keep it from her, showing his superlative reaction time.

 

She persisted, however. Everyone began shouting for her to stop, but she simply wouldn't. Armic frowned as he used his staff to push her back, gently. She had rage in her eyes, but it melted away when he held the emerald out to her, openly. He smiled.

 

“If you wanted it, m'lady, all you had to do was ask.” He said, showing impeccable manners, and how naturally giving he was. Amy grinned at how sweet he was… she really did wonder how a boy as pure as he ended up serving such a vile thing as Bacillus.

 

The bat looked hesitant, and somewhat defeated even. It wasn't like her to accept charity… that's why she'd rather steal. Nonetheless, she'd look extremely immature in front of everybody if she refused to take it because of pride alone, so she reached out her gloved palm, and gently took it, holding it to her chest. She didn't smile, but looked rather embarrassed, as she nodded silently to the boy, unable to word her `thank you'. Armic turned, thinking nothing of it.

 

“…To answer your question… it was your heart that sustained you in battle.” He began. Sonic raised an eyebrow, perplexed.

 

“My heart…?” He parroted. The blonde boy in priest-like garbs nodded.

 

“Yes. You know the Hymn of Chaos?” He said. Nobody responded with anything but puzzled looks.

 

“A… hymn? I've never heard of such a thing…” Said Knuckles, arms folded, his single visible eye expressing confusion and curiosity. Armic turned to him.

 

“Oh? But Sir Guardian, you've already said it many times before…” He stated, receiving a questioning look from the red fighter.

 

“What do you mean? I don't know any hymns…” He claimed, rubbing his head. Armic cleared his throat.

 

“…The servers… are the seven Chaos…. Chaos is power, power enriched by the heart… The controller serves to unify the Chaos...” He said, trailing off there. Knuckles definitely knew that… it was the words spoken to consult the Master Emerald. The boy smiled at his amazed look. “You recognize that verse, do you not?” He asks him. Knuckles was too taken aback to nod. He'd known the words from birth… but he, nor any of his ancestors had ever identified it as a hymn.

 

“Well…yeah, but…” He trailed. He'd nothing else to add. The sole survivor of the Chaos Troupe smiled warmly.

 

“…Yes, those words are as ancient as the kingdom that created them… That verse was originally the chorus in a song called the Hymn of Chaos. To answer Sonic's question, the part that says `Chaos is power, power enriched by the heart', is very true.” He said, looking in the blue hedgehog's direction. “This is why he always utilized the power of the Emeralds so well, and was able to sustain his super form even without all seven.” He finished, then turned back to Knuckles.

 

“…The Hymn of Chaos was written long ago, in Crystal Kingdom, not long after the treasure emeralds, and the Master Emerald were created. The song was enchanted… and worked as a sort of drawbridge of communication, and interaction with the Emeralds.” He explained, seeming to have everyone's unbridled attention.

 

“So it was used to both unleash, and regulate the power of the Emeralds?” Holo-Tails said, suddenly. Armic smiled and nodded. Tails seemed to understand everything perfectly, which made things easier on him, so he took a liking to the two-tailed vulpine.

 

“Yes yes, absolutely. In fact, to this very day, the Hymn has worked as a sort of… seal, concerning the Master Emerald…” He revealed, seeming to have a grim turn in tone as he tried to think of a subtle way to say what needed to be said. It donned upon Cream before anybody, surprisingly.

 

“Oh… so it was what was keeping the evil spirit of the Master Emerald trapped inside…?” She wondered aloud. Armic grinned largely and proudly at her.

 

“Yes, that's it precisely! My, you are a smart bunch…” He announced, making some smile, and a few more laugh, possibly questioning the truth of that.

 

“…Bacillus… The Hymn, up until now, was all that barred his power for all these years. But the Hymn alone wasn't enough… you see, the song is not good, nor evil, but sits upon the fence on which the road to the two paths fork… it will affect the Emerald accordingly, depending on the song's… influence.” He said, trying to find the words. Tails had difficulty translating the old-timey lingo, but eventually got it.

 

“Oh, I see… so the Hymn of Chaos, depending on whether the one speaking it is good or evil… has different effects on the Master Emerald's seal?” The hologram asked, not entirely sure. Armic nodded, and Knuckles smacked his fists together, loudly.

 

“So that's why the demon inside was never released whenever I spoke the Hymn…” He stated, before casting a icy glare in Eggman's direction. “…It was YOU who broke the seal!” He stated. The doctor looked insulted, and pointed his pistol at the echidna threateningly.

 

“Me? ME?! I can't help it if you're an ignorant FOOL of a guardian! Protecting the Emerald is YOUR job, it's not my fault you're such a gullible dolt!” He barks back, until the two were in each other's face, growling. Cream, Armic, and Amy all made an effort to pull them away from one another, being the resident peacemakers.

 

Both were extremely stubborn though, and wouldn't back off until the other did… Rouge finally got tired of it, and whispered something in the echidna's ear. Nobody knew what she said to him, but whatever it was, it made him stop in his tracks, and behave like no one had ever seen… perhaps it was better not to ask…

 

Eggman still wanted to be a jerk about it, but, one threatening glance from Amy, and he shied away from the argument, as well.

 

Armic let out a long sigh, “Shall I continue…?” He asked them. Most nodded, a few only stared. It was good enough for him, though.

 

“Yes, very well… I assume you now know enough of the Emeralds and the servers to have vague understanding of the events at hand… but I've yet to tell you much of their history, and we must get back to that…” He said, making sure all were paying attention… And they were. “…As I've said, 2000 some years ago, a place called Crystal Kingdom reigned supreme… it was the largest kingdom around, and by far the greatest military power on the planet, in it's brighter days… It, however, was a peaceful place, with a wise king. The people of the kingdom had technological advances in the world of magistry, manipulating the art through gemstones, which were grown by the most talented alchemists, and enchanted by the most skilled magicians and priests…”

 

He trailed, looking glum afterward. “…I however, was not born into that age. I was born during the Kingdom's downfall, what we called the War of the Damned…” He took a moment to gather himself, as the memories came floating back to him.

(flashback)

 

“S-Sir Alexander… you can't mean to do battle with the wicked one… all by yourself…?” The young blonde boy stammered, as the smell of blood and fire filled his nostrils.

 

The knight before him was possibly the only among thousands of slain and injured soldiers, that had no mortal injuries. He turned around, looking at the young boy. He merely nodded, silently, solemnly. He had to do this… inside, he knew it was his destiny.

 

“…Yes, Armic… I'm sorry, but I must. I… I can feel it… I'm the only one left who can still fight… I…” He trailed. “…The kingdom has fallen… it is no more… but, this creature… his very existence is a threat to everyone… and as long as he lives, all those people will suffer just as we have… I must make my final stand… not for me, not for this kingdom… but… for the future…” He finished, hoisting his massive, crystal clear sword upon his armored shoulder. It appeared to be made out of pure diamond…

 

“…Will the Diablade be enough…?” Armic asked, through his own coughing, from all the smoke and stench of the smoldering flesh surrounding him.

 

Alexander only shook his head.

 

“…I'm not taking it…” He admitted, sticking the blade into the ground. Armic looked confused.

 

“…Sir Alexander, why…?” he uttered, tears forming in his golden eyes. The martyr in shining armor turned around, to look at him once more.

 

“…Armic… before he was killed, the prophet Belzeber told me you would survive. He said you, and 8 others would live… one of which including the demon Bacillus…” He started, looking at his razor sharp blade for a moment, then pointing at it. “… If this prophecy comes true, I want you to take this blade, and hide it… in the future, one will rise to wield it… my reincarnation… Alas, I know nothing about him… You must follow your heart. If the wicked one still reigns when that day comes… you be sure to present it to him… it represents his destiny… justice… and hope. I don't know if my plan will work, but I have no other option.” He said, before slowly turning, and walking away.

 

“But how will you fight!?” The boy asked him seeming hysterical. The unarmed man turned around, and merely grinned.

 

“Promise me.” He said, ignoring the question.

 

Armic fell to his knees, and tried hard to hold back his tears, and be strong.

 

“…I… I promise, Sir Alexander… I'll find a way to survive, I'll do whatever it takes… I promise I won't let you down…” He muttered, between sniffles.

 

(end flashback)

 

Armic had to squint to keep from crying, as he remembered the sacrifice the legendary knight made…

 

That last look of farewell brought a mental picture of his face to the boy's mind, and he remembered it as if it were yesterday…

 

Long, sea-blue hair, which spiked radically, and blew dynamically in the wind… Neon green eyes, like a pure emerald, only brighter, glowing with courage, determination, and confidence… The eyes and the hair… suddenly he felt strange… as if he'd seen them elsewhere than just his dreams and memories…

 

 

“Hey, you ok, pal?” Sonic asked, suddenly. Armic nearly jumped, as his eyes trailed over to Sonic's… The mental picture of Alexander still engraved in his mind. For a brief moment, the emerald eyes of the hedgehog flashed… Armic's eyes shrunk, and he gasped audibly as something donned upon him…

 

A moment passed, and the immortal said nothing. Sonic raised an eyebrow, as a breeze picked up, blowing the hero's blue quills around heroically… just like…

 

“I-…it's not possible…?” The boy uttered to himself, examining the hedgehog again, not speaking another word, in a state of complete shock.

 

“…? Hmm? What was that? Hey, is somethin' wrong? You're starin' at me…” The heroic hedgehog pointed out, puzzled at the boy's sudden reaction to his merely looking at him. Armic said nothing, only shook his head a little. Cream became concerned, as came naturally to her sweet lil' ol' self.

 

“Armic…? Are you ok? You look like you've just seen a ghost!” She said, face showing her worry. She lightly put tapped him, but he flinched away.

 

At her touch, the emerald spirit managed to snap himself out of it, and he laughed fakely, rubbing the back of his head, as if they were making a big deal out of nothing.

 

“Erh, no, no, no, what makes you say such a thing, I'm fine!! Allow me to continue where I left off…” He started, talking quickly, and peculiarly. A few tried to interject, but he wouldn't allow them, as he continued without any sort of consent. “…This was a war fought with the being within the Master Emerald… Believe it or not, this is not the first time he's tried to wipe out all existence.” He announced, gaining all attention there was to gain. He paused, studying their faces, then continued.

 

“All those years ago, he used his wicked powers of manipulation, and, before long, the people fearing his power began to amass as his servants, his followers… he planned it all out from the start. Before we knew it, he'd accumulated over half of our own kingdom… His Dark Army. They were loyal to him, only because they feared he'd destroy them if they did not… which was true.” He said, his voice becoming quite serious again. He shook his head at the irony of that.

 

“…Alas, they did not realize that he would kill them after he'd gotten his use out of them anyway…” The boy said, with a very grim tone that sent chills up their spines. He felt it himself, and he could feel his knees buckling a bit.

 

“…His own followers? That's…” Chris began, trailing off. Armic looked at the lightly injured human, and nodded.

 

“Yes. Such evil is characteristic of him… However, one knight led a powerful resistance against him, and caused his army considerable damage… SO considerable, in fact, the numbers at his disposal were reduced by more than half. However, we played right into the demon's brilliant hands… in our army's absence, he'd taken the castle!” The boy exclaimed, making wild gestures with his hands.

 

“No way! All by himself?” Knuckles came, eye wide in disbelief. Armic looked completely serious, and nodded to him.

 

“…Yes. You underestimate the power of the demon himself… he'd easily obliterated what was left of the royal guard, and he killed the king, as well… he left only 7 in the castle alive…” The boy said, trailing.

 

“Those being you and the other emerald spirits?” The holographic Tails asked, receiving a nod.

 

“He kept us alive for a reason. We were one with the Chaos Emeralds, and were granted immortality with that bond. The demon had planned this for a long while. He was so powerful… but apparently he feared death, which would come to him eventually… Time was one thing that he knew would kill him if he did not do something about it soon. He wanted the secret to eternal youth.” The boy stated, looking at those around him. Most looked to be in a state of understanding, which was good.

 

“…So how did you come to be in service of him?” Amy asked, looking a tad shaken, but maintaining a state of calmness.

 

“…I'm getting to that. I watched the Knight, my best friend, leave in search of the demon… only to find that he was in the castle the whole time. He took me and my brothers and sisters hostage, and threatened to kill us in the most brutal way imaginable if we didn't pledge allegiance to him…” He admitted, as his words began to shake a little. There was a long moment of quiet, accompanied by a thick feeling of regret from the boy.

 

“…We were so young, and scared… so we all cracked, and swore the oath to him. This allowed the demon to manipulate our wills, twist them until they were the blackest of evils… My once kindhearted siblings all changed before my very eyes. I watched the glimmer of good in their pupils slowly morph, and decay into those horrible, wicked eyes.” He confessed, shaking at the horror of his own memory.

 

Just then, both Cream and Amy walked to him, offering him their comforts. Both had a certain motherly instinct, and could tell when somebody was distressing, and needed some sort of attention, some amount of love. He didn't look them in the eyes, but eventually wiped the tears forming within his, and stood up. The girls broke off, and looked at him, still a little worried. Cream looked a bit confused, on top of that.

 

“But Armic… you don't seem evil at all… you're nothing like that knight Chris fought… you're nice, and polite…” She said, generating a nod from Amy, and some others as well. Armic shook his head in disagreement.

 

“…After the things I've done, it matters not whether he bewitched me or not… After showing such weakness, how can I claim to be pure?” He said, looking at the ground. Amy put her hands on her hips.

 

“Hey, I thought we agreed you were done degrading yourself like that… now stop being so pathetic, and tell us how you escaped whatever spell that demonic jerk cast on you?” Amy said, in a huff, showing her magnificent capability of switching from gentle and soothing, to blunt and scolding within an instant. Armic gulped, and nodded.

 

“Well, you see, the Knight… he hadn't really left after all… He was probably trying to trick Bacillus. Just as the demon was about to possess my mind, he reappeared, with the sacred Hymn book. He sang the Hymn of Chaos, combining it with his exceptional power to control gems, managing to seal him into the Master Emerald…” He said, answering the question.

 

“Wow,” Was all any of them could say. Armic nodded.

 

“Yes… but as a side-effect of the spell, my brethren and I were also sealed into our host Emeralds… not only that, but the Spell he conjured proved to be so powerful, it caused a tremor, that brought the castle down upon him…” He spoke, looking unbelievably sad as he said that.

 

Cream frowned.

 

“You talk about that knight a lot… you two must have been good friends… What was his name…?” She asked. He looked at her mournfully, but smiled nonetheless.

 

“…His name was Sir Alexander Xavier Winchester III. Of all the names I know, his is one I shall never forget. He was the finest knight in the kingdom… head of the army… my hero… I grew up, wanting to be just like him… but… all that's left of him…” The boy trailed.

 

“…Is a promise I've yet to keep…” With that said, Armic's face twisted, as he began to, once again, struggle to hold back his tears.

 

Cream, of all people, knew what it was like to cry, to be sensitive… And she knew how to deal with her emotions. It pained her to see him hold it in like that… And she couldn't make any sense of it. Whenever she tried to hold back, it always just made her feel anxious, and stressed. It was her release, and she learned never to be afraid to cry if she felt like it. It was one of the many reasons, until very recently, she remained so stress-free and healthy all the time.

The fetching bunny placed a paw on his cheek, and turned his face to look at hers. Surprisingly, she smiled at him.

 

“…It's okay to cry, Armic… It shows you have feelings… and it helps you calm down when you're feeling upset… Go ahead and cry… no one will make fun of you, there's nothing wrong with it.” She said, in a soothing pitch that nearly approached a sweet lullaby-like tone.

 

The boy smiled, and a few tears dropped down his cheeks… but that was all. It seemed that the girl had talents for soothing the heart-broken… and he actually felt much better, and quickly at that. He chuckled as he wiped them away.

 

“Hehe… Forgive my dramatics… You'd think 2000 plus years of service under a demon… would've dried up all my tears.” He trailed, looking to the ground, bashfully. Nobody really responded… so the Emerald spirit began to search his mind for more information to provide… but he found none. He let out a sigh of relief. He was finally done.

 

“…Well… I believe that's all there is to tell… do you all understand?” He asked, looking at each with a smile.

 

The holographic image of Tails was the first to nod, his massive brain and perceptive talents for connecting logic easily grasping all the information… though that didn't mean he wasn't having a hard time believing it. Nothing the boy said seemed false, even under his fierce logical examination, but such… unknown history, such unheard-of happenings were quite difficult to believe, with or without proof.

 

The hologram of the boy was rather noticeably turning to look at Cream consistently… and this time, rather than a swift evasion of eye contact, his eyes locked with hers, which were already staring in his direction. He was trapped now… he wouldn't be able to look away unless she did…

 

And, until he could get her off his mind, he wouldn't be able to help think of a way to defeat the Master Emerald Titan, within which dwelled Bacillus.

 

…Cream was much the same way as Tails, but she purposefully met his eyes, which twinkled as they looked into hers. His eyes were the only time she could see any of his emotions at all… one of the reasons she didn't usually know. She had to admit, despite his wronging her, she was completely captivated by even just a hologram. It didn't look like she'd be able to contribute any original ideas either…

 

She sneezed, blinking once, just enough time for the boy to look away. Afterward, she frowned…

 

…Too bad she couldn't see his blushing through the unclear hologram.

 

Sonic, in the meanwhile rubbed his chin, in the last place you'd ever expect him to be… deep in thought. He couldn't get over the sense of nostalgia he felt when he thought of that name… Sir Alexander… it seemed so familiar, and yet, he was positive that he'd never heard it before in his life… He wondered why his blood boiled so vigorously when he heard it… what connection had he with someone gone for more than two millinia?

 

Sadly, though, Sonic didn't seem to have any ideas concerning the defeat of the Demon Bacillus at the moment.

 

Amy's mind was a mixture of worry, anxiety, and pension. Her brain was hard at work just registering all the information she just received… but still she tried, though, considering her, the results she'd turn up would be questionable.

 

Rouge looked at the Emerald Armic handed to her openly, and suddenly Eggman's hand grabbed for it. She practically hissed at him, and the two began to bicker over it, eliminating both minds from contribution to the idea bin.

 

Knuckles shook his head at the two, and, like everyone else, did his best to ignore them. He was probably thinking more deeply than any other present… this whole story revealed the true nature of the Master and Chaos Emeralds… and he couldn't believe he'd never known… it was a lot to meditate on. As for ways to defeat the demon he was partially to blame for, (allowing it to be unleashed) his mind was a bit too clogged with thought of his ancestors, and their connection with the Emeralds.

 

Chris had a difficult time grasping a lot of this stuff. He didn't really know half as much about the Emeralds as anybody else in the Sonic gang did, so he was biting his lip just to comprehend all this stuff. He'd do what he could, though, as he always did for his friends, though he probably wouldn't be the one to watch for, at least not concerning `ingenius ideas for the downfall of a 50 foot tall giant'.

 

Armic, glancing at Sonic, felt something deep inside of him awaken… a familiar feeling, but one he hadn't felt in decades… longer. The feeling pulsated straight from his heart, almost giving a pulling sensation toward the blue hero…

“Follow your heart,” Alexander told him.

 

He still couldn't believe it himself, but his heart was definitely tugging in the hedgehog's direction.

 

…It was safe to say that, if anyone had a plan, it was Armic.

 

The sky turned pink with laziness, as the sun drug itself ever toward the horizon. By the looks of things, nightfall would be upon them soon…

 

The very incarnation of silence, and patience, the concealed Shadow's raven and crimson quills twitched with anticipation for the night, which he could feel nearing. It would be then that he'd reveal himself at last… After hearing what he'd heard, he'd uncovered a rather clever plan himself…

 

End Chapter

 

Yep, that's all of it! Yeah, I needed a history for the Chaos Emeralds, and Master Emerald, so I took an old original story of mine and sorta meshed them together.

 

I DO have a horrible feeling I might get flamed for this, and I can't help but feel, despite ALL the unbelievably long explaining this chapter contained, that some of you readers will still be confused. Anyway, I'm still very proud of this chapter, and I think things are coming together… well, I can't really say `nicely' or `evenly' but… hey, they're coming together, right? Ehehe, yeah, don't answer that.

 

Anyway, I'm glad I've finally got that done… next chapter should be REALLY interesting, don'tcha think? (again, do NOT answer that.)

 

So yeah, oh! In response to one of my reviews, from uh…. Cobalt Blue I think, Tails where's a vest and shorts to represent a bit of a change in his character. Some people can't connect change or development in character without change in their appearance… so this is why he wears clothes… he's grown up quite a bit, even though he was pretty mature to begin with. And no, since Sonic, and Knuckles haven't really changed that much at ALL, they're still goin' nudey. XD And Shadow, of course, has his trademark cloak, but is otherwise the same in appearance.

 

Also, I'm totally flattered all of you guys love lil' ol' Armic so much! The things you said about him being a cool OC totally and completely flattered me, seeing as I really didn't expect an OC to get any love at all, even given a good situation.

 

But yeah, creating OCs is unbelievably fun for me… and I've had a good time as of late helping some friends come up with things for them. I also love to do commissions for good OCs, that I think might look cool in a drawing… but I'm blabbering like an idiot now… I need to get to bed!! ^_^;

 

So stay tuned for chapter 20, much love goes out to all my wonderful reviewers… you guys friggin ROCK.

 

YiffyOne out!